Machine for cementing soles to shoes



April 13, 1937.

P. BRAUNER MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SOLES TO SHOES 4 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1934 ".2... E... n H a,

April 13, 1937; R BRA NER 1/ 2,076,697

MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SOLES TO SHOES Filed Dec. 11, 193-4 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .c w 11 1 %itl.

April 13, 1937. P. BRAUNER 2,076,697

MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SOLES TO SHOES Filed Dec. 11, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A ril 13,1931. p. BRAUNER 76 697 MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SOL EES TO SHOES Filed Dec. 11, 1934 4 Sheets-Shet 4 Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE MACHINE FOR CEMENTING SOLES TO SHOES 16 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for use in manufacturing shoes and particularly to machines having a number of inflatable shoe presses or jacks each adapted to hold a sole firmly against a shoe bottom while the cement sets. The machine illustrated is intended primarily for use in the manufacture of shoes in which cement alone is relied upon to permanently attach the outer sole to a shoe.

lo When cement is employed to permanently secure the sole to a shoe it is important that the adhesive covered portions of the sole be firmly pressed against the bottom of the shoe, and if a cement which does not grip immediately is used 1.7 it is important that the sole be held firmly in place throughout the one or more minutes required for the cement to set.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide shoe presses or jacks having an inflatable pad for m pressing the sole firmly against the bottom of a shoe, and in order to speed up production it has been suggested heretofore to provide a rotating wheel or table having a number of inflatable jacks and provided with valve means at the hub of the wheel adapted to be controlled by the rotation of the wheel to inflate and deflate the jacks, so that each jack will be held inflated as the wheel rotates throughout the greater part of a complete circle. Difiiculty has been experienced heretofore however in providing a rotating valve at the hub of the wheel which will not leak under the relatively high pressure employed to inflate the pads, and which will permit the wheel to rotate freely. This difiiculty in securing a tight valve has been largely due to the fact that when the non-rotating part of the valve is formed rigid or integral with the wheel supporting axle any slight play or inaccuracy in the wheel bearing tends to disturb the seating in of the valve parts and causes leakage, and if the valve is tightened to prevent such leakage the increased friction makes the wheel hard to turn.

One important feature of the present invention therefore resides in a valve which overcomes this difliculty and more particularly in a, construction whereby the non-rotating part of the valve is fioatingly connected to the fixed wheel axle and is held seated in the portion of the valve that rotates with the wheel without carrying any 50 load, and as a result a tight valve seat is secured which is not disturbed by the rotation of the Wheel or inaccuracies in the wheel bearing.

The time required to remove a shoe with the sole attached from a jack and insert another 55 shoe is only a small fraction of the time required cal for the cement commonly used to set, so that a skilled operator can jack and unjack a number of shoes during the period that a shoe should be held in a jack while the cement sets. It has therefore been proposed heretofore to provide 5 the jack supporting wheel with a relatively large number of jacks, but this has resulted in the use of a large unwieldy wheel. 1

Another important feature of the invention therefore resides in a sole cementing machine 01' 10 the rotating wheel type but which is so constructed that a relatively large number of jacks can be mounted upon a much smaller and lighter wheel than in the construction proposed heretofore, and in which jacks extend radially outwardly beyond the periphery of the wheel and frontwardly from the plane of the wheel so that the shoes can be more readily placed in and removed from the jacks. 1

A further feature resides in pedal controlled means that cooperates with the jack supporting wheel whereby when a jack is in position to be controlled from the operating station it may be either inflated or deflated at the will of the operator by operating one or the other of apair of foot pedals. This is important because it is necessary that the sole be accurately applied. to the shoe preparatory to cementing it in place and this foot controlled means enables the operator to quickly inflate the jack While the shoe and sole are held in place, and to quickly deflate the jack in case the shoe parts are not properly positioned in the jack. Furthermore as a result of these foot pedals for controlling the inflation of a jack at the operating station, shoes may be placed in the jacks and removed therefrom while the wheel rotates continuously at a uniform speed.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the construction of the wheel for supporting the jacks whereby the pipes for inflating the jacks are concealed in the spokes and cast parts of the wheel where they are protected and out of the way, and another feature resides in novel means for completing the pipe connections between a jack and the valve at the hub of the wheel as the jack is secured to the wheel;

Other features of the invention and novel combination of parts in addition to the above will be hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good, practical form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine of the present invention showing only a few jacks in place.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the machine of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 on a larger scale is a vertical sectional view of the hub portion of the wheel of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of Fig. 3, the hub cover plate being removed.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the hub cover plate.

Fig. 6is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 3. t

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the inner or nonrotating valve member.

Fig. 8 is a development of the inner face of the outer or rotating valve member.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 93 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a face view of a washer to be described.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a foot pedal valve device.

I Fig. 12 is an end view of the device of Fig. 11 and;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line l3-l3 of Fig. 11. r

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the shoe presses or jacks ID are provided with supporting brackets H adapted to be secured by bolts 12 to bosses I3 formed on the rim' I4 of a jack supporting wheel. This wheel is shown as having five spokes l5 extending from the hub l6 of the wheel to the rim l4. The wheel and jacks are so constructed that the jacks are supported by the bracket ll so that they extend radially outwardly a substantialdistance from the'rim of the wheel and project frontwardly a substantial distance from the plane of the wheel. This arrangement permits a relatively large number of jacks (thirty in the present case) to be carried by awheel that 's less than four feet in diameter, and positions the jacks frontwardly of the'plane of the wheel far enough to permit the machine operator engaged in placing the shoes in the jacks to look downward upon the shoe from a position near *5 the hub of the wheel to see if the sole of the shoe is correctly held against the bottom of the shoe when the shoe supporting pad or bag I1 is inflated. The wheel which carries the jacks is supported in the construction shown to rotate in a vertical plane by a hollow column or casing l8 adapted to support the wheel at such a height from the floor that when a jack l0 lies directly below the axis of the wheel asshown in Fig. 2 itwill be just high enough from the floor to be most convenient for the operator engaged in placing a shoe S in or removing it from this jack. -The i casing l8 has the base 19, and secured to a side wall of the upper part of the casing is the wheel supporting axle 20. This axle is preferably tapered as shown and is provided with the roller bearings 2| and 22 and the outer end of the axle is threaded as at 23. The axle has a supporting flange 24 that may be bolted or otherwise secured to the casing I8.

I The jack supporting wheel is so designed that its hub l6 spokes I5 and rim l4 maybe formed as an integral casting, the spokes being connected between each other near the hub by the flanges 25, andthe portion of the wheel between the hub l6 and flanges 25 is preferably made hollow as are also the spokes I5 and rim I4 to reduce the weight of the wheel and to receive the jack inflating pipes to be described.

7.5 It is desirable to provide means for slowly ro- Fig. 8.

tating the wheel in the the arrow in Fig. 1 at a speed which will'permit the machine operator to remove one shoe from a jack and insert another shoewithout stopping the wheel, as each jack-passes through the'r'ange of its lowest position. The wheel is slowly rotated in the construction shown by securing to the rear face of the wheel a ring gear 26 adapted motor by the conductors 34.

The machine of the present invention is designed more particularly for use in cementing the outer soles permanently to shoes when a cement is used which does not grip immediately but requires an interval of time for the cement to set, and by employing a wheel carrying a large number of jacks, each jack may be kept inflated while it rotates through the greaterpart of a complete circle and the other jacks of the wheel have the shoes therein changed. I

One important feature of the present invention'resides in the means for controlling the inflation and deflation of the bags I! of the various jacks, as the wheel rotates, and the means T shown to'this end willnow be described. The wheel has cast or otherwise secured in its front fa' ce about the axis of rotation a ring which may be formed of steel and this ring is provided with pipe receiving holes adapted to receive the jack inflating pipes 36 one for each of the thirty jacks. The ends of these pipes'may be welded or otherwise secured in the ring 35 to provide air tightjoints therebetween and the outer face of the ring may be ground to provide a. smooth true surface.

To the outer face of the ring 35 is secured the ring-like valve member 31 which is secured to the ring by the bolts 38, and a gasket 39 is provided between the members 35 and 31 to prevent leakage of the compressed air from between them. The valve memberv 31 is bored or otherwise provided with the air passages 40 which align with the ends of the pipes 36 in the ring 35; The passages 40 communicate with ports and 42 ar- The starting and stopping of the motor 3l' is controlled by the switch 33 connected to the direction indicated by ranged in two rows in theinner wall of the valve member 31 in staggered relation as best shown in The pipes 36 are mounted in the ho]- low spokes [5 where they are protected and out of the way and they extend outwardly through a spoke and within the hollow rim to the jack receiving flanges l3 as will be apparent from Fig. 1, six pipes being provided in each spoke l5.

The jacks 10 are preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of my application Serial No. 753,263 filed November 16, 1934, and as will be apparent from said application each jack is provided with a tube 43 concealed in the casting V Eachjack I0 is also provided for a last 41 when the shoe in which the last is placed is forced upwardlyby the inflation of the bag I1. Each jack is further provided with a toe engaging member 48, all as more fully shown and described insaid application.

The pipe connections so far described serve to supply compressed air from the outer valve member 31 to the bags I! of the various jacks, and the means for supplying compressed air to and exhausting the ports of the valve member 31 will now be described. Compressed air from any suitable source of supply (not shown) is supplied by a pipe 49 to a bore 59 formed longitudinally of the fixed axle 20, and secured to the opposite end of this bore by the coupling 5| is a flexible pipe 52. Within the rotating valve member 31 is seated the non-rotating valve member 53 and compressed air is supplied to the ports 54 and 55 and connecting conduit 56 of the valve member 53 by the flexible pipe 52 connected to 53 by the coupling 51.

Since the air used to inflate the bags I! is preferably supplied under relatively high pressure it is important that the non-rotating valve member 53 be held accurately seated in the rotating valve member 31, and to this end in the construction shown, the valve member 53 is accurately ground to fit the member 31 and is yieldingly held seated therein by a coiled spring 58 one end of which rests against an antifriction ball 59 which ball rests in a pocket 69 formed in a spider 6| that is seated in the outer end of the valve member 53 and is secured to this member by screws 62. The valve members 31 and 53 are enclosed in a cover 63 that is secured to the outer end of the member 37 by bolts 64 and the cover 63 has the valve covering skirt 65 extending towards the wheel. The central portion of the cover plate 63 has a threaded opening adapted to receive the bolt 66 against which the outer end of the spring 58 is seated and this bolt may be adjusted to vary the pressure of the spring upon the valve member 53.

The jack supporting wheel is retained upon its supporting axle 29 by a nut 67 that is provided upon the threaded end 23 of the axle, and the nut bears against a washer 68. The inner valve member 53 is fioatingly connected to the axle 2|] so that it is held from rotating by the axle, but is relieved from the weight of the wheel and is free to seat accurately in the valve member 3'! under the action of the spring 58. This result is secured by providing on the axle 29 the washer 69 which is keyed to the axle so that it can not turn and is clamped between the nuts 61 and 19. The washer 69 has the slots 1| formed in its outer edge (see Fig. 10) to receive the inwardly projecting fingers 12 upon the valve member 53 so as to hold this member from rotating.

The mechanism so far described serves to supply compressed air from the supply pipe 49 to each jack as the port 4| or 42 controlling a jack is brought into alignment by the rotation of the wheel with a port 54 or 55, and the compressed air supplied to a jack through these aligned ports is prevented from being exhausted from the jack until the wheel has been turned through nearly a complete revolution. The air is exhausted from a jack when the wheel is rotated to align the port 4| or 42 with the exhaust groove 13 formed in the face of the valve member 53 a short distance from the ports 54 and 55. The groove '13 is preferably enlarged at 74 and T5 to allow a longer period of time in which the air might exhaust from the bags I? as the wheel rotates.

It is important to thoroughly lubricate the co operating surfaces of the valve members 37 and 53 and this is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing in the face of the valve member 53 the grease receiving groove 16 to which grease is supplied through the conduits 11 from a grease cup 78 mounted on the spider 6|. The cover of the grease cup may be tightened from time to time to feed grease to the bearing groove 16 by inserting a screw driver through any one of the openings 19 formed in the cover plate 63. to this bearing when the wheel and its cover plate 63 are turned to difierent positions relative to the non-rotating valve member 53. The cover plate 63 is therefore shown in Fig. 5 as provided with thirty holes 19 numbered in irregular order from I to 30 inclusive so that the screw driver used in tightening the cover of the grease cup may be inserted in a different hole 19 upon each day of the month in the order shown by the numerals to 30 opposite these holes.

When the jack supporting wheel is rotated continuously at a uniform speed as contemplated in the present case as the operator changes the shoes in the successive jacks, it is important that means be provided whereby he may quickly inflate a jack bag I! as soon as a shoe is properly placed in the jack, and prevent the bag from being inflated before the shoe is properly placed in the jack. This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by providing near the base of the machine the pedal control device 89 having the foot operable plunger 8| for supf plying compressed air through the pipe 49 and aligned ports 4| and 54 or 42 and 55 to a particular bag I1, and also having the foot operable plunger 82 for exhausting air through these connections from the bag IT.

The construction of the device 89 is best shown in Fig. 13 in which air under pressure is supplied to the chamber 83 through the inlet port 84 from any suitable source of compressed air not shown. When the plunger 8| is depressed against the upward pressure of the spring 85 it will open the valve 86 and permit the compressed air to enter the upper chamber 81 and conduit 66. Communicating with an intermediate portion of the conduit 88 is the port 89 to which is connected the pipe 49 leading to the wheel axle. When it is desired to exhaust air from a bag I'E while the controlling ports 4| and 54 or 42 and 55 are aligned the plunger 82 is depressed against the pressure of the spring 99 to open the valve 9| so that the air from the bag I! may enter the chamber 92 and exhaust into the atmosphere through the port 93. The pipe 49 and conduit 88 serve to inflate and deflate the bag I! depending upon whether the plunger 8| or 82 is depressed, and the valves 89 and 9| are so arranged that the pressure of the compressed air against them tends to hold them seated.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the set of thirty jacks are supported by a comparatively small wheel and that these jacks are so supported from the wheel that the machine operator may quickly and accurately place the shoes in the jacks as the wheel is continuously rotating, and

if a shoe is not properly positioned as a jack is inflated by stepping on the plunger 8|, it may be immediately deflated by stepping on the plunger 82 to exhaust the air from the jack so that the sole may be properly positioned on the shoeand the jack inflated again. A particular jack is under the control of the foot plungers 8| and 82 only while it is moving through a small are below the wheel axle and if it should be desired to exhaust the air from a jack before it is carried by It is desirable to feed grease.

the wheel around to the position of the exhaust groove 13, the jack maybe deflated by opening a hand valve 94 with which each jack is provided.

. While in the construction shown the jack supporting wheel rotates in a vertical plane, this wheel may be supported, if desired, to rotate in a horizontal plane; and while the jacks shown are designed more particularly for use in permanently cementing soles in place, they may be employed simply to shape the soles to the bottom of the shoes, or to cement soles to the shoes when the cement is relied upon to hold a sole in place and keep it from creeping while the sole is being stitched to the shoe.

I claimz.

1. A machine for cementing soles to shoes comprising in combination, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, a rotating wheel formed as a casting and having a hub, hollow spokes and a rim all cast together, means for securing the jacks to said rim, and said wheel being provided with bag inflating pipes leading from the hub of the wheel through the hollow spokes and rimto the jacks and positioned within the cast wheel structure where they are concealed and out of the way.

' 2. A machine for cementing soles to shoes comprising in combination, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, a rotating wheel formed with a hub, hollow spokes and a rim, means for securing the jacks to said rim, and pipes for inflating said bag extending from the hub to the rim and positioned within said hollow spokes Where they are entirely concealed and out of the way.

3. A machine for-cementing soles to shoes, comprising in combination, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag, a supporting flange upon each jack, a pipe extending through the flange and leading to the bag 'of the jack; a wheel having a supporting hub and a much larger annular rim for supporting the jacks, pipes extending outwardly from the hub throughthe rim, and means for mounting the'jacks on the wheel by securing said flanges to the rim so that the pipe in a flange aligns with a pipe extending through the rim and forms a communication therebetween through which the bag can be inflated.

4. A machine for cementing soles to shoes comprising in combination, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag, a supporting flange upon all each jack, a pipe extending through the flange and leading to the bag of the jack; a cast wheel having a hub, spokes and a rim, pipes cast in the wheel and leading from the hub through the ashoe, a wheel forsupporting the jacks and provided with a hub;'pipes leading from the hub of the wheel to the bags of the different jacks,and means for mounting the ends of these pipes in the hub so that compressed air may be supplied successively to each of these pipes, comprising a metal ring secured in the hub and having the.

ends of said pipes tightlysecured in holes formed in said ring.

6. In a machine of the class described in combination, a wheel provided with a series of air confining means, pipes leading from the hub of the wheel to said means, a shaft for rotatably supporting the wheel, valve mechanism for controlling compressed air. supplied to said means through said pipes including a valve partv secured to the wheel to rotate therewith and'provided with a central conical bore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an air-tightjoint therebetween, and means --for holding said nonrotating part seated in said bore and'for floatingly holding the non-rotating part from rotating.

7. In a machine of the class descrlbed'in combination, a wheel provided with a series. of air confining means, pipes leading from the hub of the wheel to said means, a shaft for rotatably supporting the wheel, valve mechanism for controlling compressed air'supplied to said means through said pipes, includinga valve part secured to the wheel to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore that flares outwardly, a conical non-rotating part that flts said outwardly flaring bore to form an air tight joint therebetween, and means for holdingsaid nonrotating part seated in said bore andfor floatingly holding it-from rotating.

8. A machine for cementing soles to shoes coma prising in combination, a series of jacks each having'an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, a wheel for supporting the jacks and-provided with pipes leading from its hub to the jack bags, a shaft for rotatably supporting the wheel, means forcontrolling the inflation of saidbags from the hub through said pipes including a valve casing secured to the'wheel to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an air tight joint therebetween, means 'for yieldingly holding said part seated in said bore and for floatingly holding said part from rotating.

9. A machine for cementing soles to shoes com prising in combination, a series of Jacks each having an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, a wheel for supporting the jacks and provided with pipes leading from itshub to the jack bags, a shaft for rotatably supporting the wheel, means for controlling the inflation of said bags from the hub through said pipes including a valve casing secured to the wheel torotate therewith and provided with a central conicalbore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said boreto form an air tight joint therebetween, a front plate secured to the wheel over said non-rotating part, spring means confined between said front plate and said part to hold the latter yieldingly seated, and

means for floatingly holding said part from rotating. 7 n v 10. A machine for cementing soles to shoes, comprising in combination, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag for pressing a sole againsta shoe, a rotating wheel for supporting the jacks and provided with pipes leading from its hub'to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an airtightjoint therebetween, a

front plate secured to the wheel over said part to ing an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, a wheel for supporting the jacks and. provided with pipes leading from its hub to the jack bags, a shaft for rotatably supporting said wheel, means for controlling the inflation of said bags from the hub through said pipes including a valve casing secured to the wheel to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an air tight joint therebetween, and means for floatingly connecting said non-rotating part to said shaft to hold the former from rotating.

12. A machine for cementing soles to shoes, comprising in combination, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, a wheel for supporting the jacks and provided with pipes leading from its hub to the jack bags, a shaft for rotatably supporting said wheel, means for controlling the inflation of said bags from the hub through said pipes including a valve casing secured to the wheel to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an air tight joint therebetween, means for floatingly connecting said non-rotating part to said shaft to hold the former from rotating, and a flexible tube leading from said shaft to said floating part to supply compressed air from the former to the latter.

13. In a machine of the class described in combination, a wheel for supporting means using compressed air, a shaft for rotatably supporting the wheel, means for controlling the supply of compressed air to said first mentioned means including a valve casing secured to the wheel to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore,

a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an air tight joint therebetween, means for floatingly connecting said non-rotating part to said shaft to hold the former from rotating, and a flexible tube leading from said shaft to said part to supply compressed air from the former to the latter.

14. In a machine of the class described in combination, a wheel for supporting means using compressed air, a shaft for rotatably supporting the wheel, means for controlling the supply of compressed air to said first mentioned means including a valve casing secured to the wheel to rotate therewith and provided with a central conical bore, a conical non-rotating part that fits said bore to form an air tight joint therebetween, a front plate secured to said wheel over said nonrotating part, spring means confined between the front plate and said part for holding the latter seated, and an antifriction bearing at one end of said spring means.

15. In a machine of the class described in combination, a wheel provided with a series of air confining means, pipes leading from the hub portion of the wheel to said means, a shaft for rotatably supporting the Wheel, valve mechanism for controlling compressed air supplied to said means through said pipes, including a valve casing upon the wheel to rotate therewith and provided ith a conical central bore that flares outwardly away from the plane of the wheel, a tapered valve part non-rotatably but movably secured to said shaft and adapted to fit said conical bore to form an air-tight joint therebetween, and spring means for holding said valve part seated in said bore.

16. A machine for cementing soles to shoes comprising in combination, a jack-supporting wheel rotatably mounted and provided with an outer rim, a series of jacks each having an inflatable bag for pressing a sole against a shoe, each jack including a base plate adapted to support an inflatable bag and an integral overhanging cantilever arm for holding a shoe against the upward pressure exerted upon it when the bag is inflated, each jack being provided with a supporting bracket upon its cantilever arm that extends laterally outwardly from said arm, and means for securing the brackets to said rim so that the brackets support the jacks to project radially outwardly a substantial distance from the rim and frontwardly in a plane at right angles to the plane of the wheel so that the jacks travel in a much greater circle than that defined by said rim.

PINCUS BRAUNER. 

